Saudi Arabia is moving to end the role of the United Arab Emirates in Yemen and diminish its neighbor’s influence in other arenas, including the Red Sea, as tensions rise in the longstanding rivalry between the two Gulf powerhouses.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is kicking off 2026 with a trip to the UAE, marking his first overseas visit of the year and putting sustainability and economic ties front and centre.The working visit begins on Monday,

DUBAI, Jan 6 - When the United Arab Emirates withdrew its troops from Yemen last week under a deadline from Saudi Arabia, it also left behind the remote Yemeni island of Socotra and the roughly 600 tourists who had flown in but could no longer fly out.

Saudi Arabia has publicly accused the United Arab Emirates – a fellow Gulf Arab state and former partner in the Yemen war – of undermining its national security, an unusually blunt charge that exposes a rift long kept behind closed doors.

The UAE said Tuesday it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen, following a Saudi demand to withdraw within 24 hours as tensions escalate over a sweeping offensive by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists.

The online escalation follows Saudi Arabia’s bombing of what it described as a UAE-linked weapons shipment in southern Yemen on 30 December. Riyadh said the shipment had arrived at the port of Mukalla aboard two vessels originating from Fujairah and was bound for the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is backed by Abu Dhabi.

The UAE hasn't yet responded to the accusation. The situation further escalates tensions between the neighboring nations on the Arabian Peninsula.

The United Arab Emirates has swiftly moved into the New Year 2026 with several improvements to its visa and immigration systems where some modificatio.